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Surrey and England allrounder Zafar Ansari has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 25

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2017

Surrey and England allrounder Zafar Ansari has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 25.While acknowledging the decision might come across as a “surprise”, he reiterated comments he had made previously about having ambitions in life beyond cricket. “With that in mind, I am now exploring another career, potentially in law, and to achieve this I have to begin the process now,” he said.Ansari made his England debut in an ODI against Ireland in 2015 and reached the Test side on the recent tours of Bangladesh and India where he played three Tests. He had initially been called up to England’s Test squad for the series against Pakistan in the UAE in late 2015, but broke his thumb just hours after the announcement.”After seven years as a professional cricketer and almost two decades in total playing the game, I have decided to bring my cricket career to an end,” Ansari said. “This has been a very difficult decision to make and I have not made it lightly. I started playing for Surrey at the age of eight, and the club has been a hugely important part of my life since then. Surrey have always completely supported me and I am extremely grateful to the club for their backing over the years. It is, therefore, with great sadness that I say goodbye.”Nevertheless, I have always been clear that when the time was right for me to move on I would, and that time has now come. While the timing may come as a surprise, I have always maintained that cricket was just one part of my life and that I have other ambitions that I want to fulfill. With that in mind, I am now exploring another career, potentially in law, and to achieve this, I have to begin the process now.”Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said: “Zafar’s exceptionally tough but considered decision is one that we should all respect and understand. To retire at such a young age when his cricket career was progressing very nicely, earning a Test debut against Bangladesh last winter, proves that he has given great thought in deciding to walk away from the professional game.”Ansari made his first-class debut for Cambridge University, where gained a double-first degree, in 2011 against Essex – his maiden first-class wicket was Alastair Cook – and in his third match he claimed 5 for 33 against Surrey which included the scalp of Kevin Pietersen.He subsequently developed into an allrounder who impressed in the four-day game and, for a lengthy period, opened the batting in the County Championship. He finished with career-bests of 112 and 6 for 30 in first-class cricket.”I will look back extremely fondly on playing with some wonderful teams and having the opportunity to perform in front of the best crowds in county cricket at the Kia Oval,” Ansari said. “Equally, to have played three Test matches for England was a huge honour and it is something I will undoubtedly savour for the rest of my life. Most of all, I will miss the people with whom I have shared my career and I cherish the relationships that I’ve formed along the way.”I would like to thank Surrey and its fans for the way they have supported and encouraged me over the last 17 years. I am now looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life, but I know that Surrey will always feel like a home to me.”

أكد مهاجم نادي دريمز الغاني، جون أنطوي، على أهمية مباراتي الزمالك بالنسبة لفريقه في دور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

ويلتقي الزمالك ودريمز، يوم الأحد 21 أبريل في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” في غانا لمحاولة حسم بطاقة التأهل مبكرًا إلى نهائي المسابقة القارية.

وتحدث أنطوي الذي سبق ولعب في الدوري المصري من خلال 5 أندية، وهي، الأهلي، بيراميدز، طلائع الجيش، الإسماعيلي ومصر للمقاصة عن مواجهة الزمالك وخبراته في أرض الفراعنة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أول تحرك رسمي من لجنة الحكام بعد الاعتداء على محمد معروف في مباراة أبو سليم ونهضة بركان

وقال الغاني في حوار عبر موقع “الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم” الرسمي: “عودتي إلى الدوري الغاني ونادي دريمز؟، كان من واقع خبرتي بأن هذا هو الوقت المناسب لقيادة هذا الفريق في بطولة الكونفدرالية”.

وتابع: “لقد بدأت مسيرتي من نادي دريمز، لذلك فهو عائلتي، أشعر بأنني في بيتي بعد سنوات خارج غانا”.

وأضاف: “لقد قدمت كل خبرتي مع دريمز والتي اكتسبتها خاصة من الدوري المصري، لقد شاركت أيضًا مع أنديتي السابقة إفريقيًا وهو ما ساعدني في مهمتي الحالية”.

وعن الصعوبات التي واجهته في الدوري المصري: “كان عامل اللغة بالطبع، فأنت تنتقل من دولة تتحدث الإنجليزية إلى دولة تتحدث العربية، بجانب الطقس المتغير البارد عكس غانا”.

وطموحاته مع دريمز: “نحن نركز في كل مباراة على حدة، نريد الفوز، لا نفكر في أي مجد شخصي، ونحاول أن نبذل قصارى جهدنا لمساعدة الفريق على الفوز وأريد المساعدة من خلال تسجيل الأهداف ولذلك وصلنا إلى نصف نهائي الكونفدرالية”.

وعن مواجهة الزمالك: “فريق جيد جدًا، يمتلك خبرة إفريقية كبيرة، فاز بـ 9 ألقاب قارية، هذا يؤكد لك أنهم مميزين ولكني أثق في زملائي والجهاز الفني لنخرج منتصرين”.

وبسؤاله هل يفكر في العودة إلى الدوري المصري، بعد تألقه مع دريمز؟، أجاب: “الآن، تركيزي على فريقي الحالي، من أجل إنهاء الموسم بأفضل شكل ممكن”.

واستمر: “أريد أن أكون جاهزًا لمباراة الزمالك، هذا ما أعمل عليه في الوقت الحالي على المستوى البدني والفني”.

واستفاض: “كذلك أريد تحفيز زملائي من خلال خبراتي الطويلة، لقد نقلت لهم بعض منها في الفترة الماضية، وهو ما ساعدنا في أكثر من مباراة صعبة مثل الإفريقي في تونس رغم الحضور الجماهيري، لكن الأجواء كانت رائعة وأعادت ذكرياتي في الدوري المصري”.

وعاد أنطوي للحديث عن مباراة الزمالك من جديد: “سأنقل لهم خبراتي في مواجهة الزمالك، سنتحدث مع الجهاز الفني لمعرفة الخطة المناسبة، لاستغلال نقاط الضعف لديهم لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية”.

وعن طموحاته في الكونفدرالية: “بالتأكيد، طموح الجميع سيكون التأهل إلى نهائي البطولة، نريد حصد الكأس ولن يأتي ذلك إلى من خلال التدريب الجاد”.

Congress leader CP Joshi has pipped Ruchir Modi, son of former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, to become president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association

PTI03-Jun-2017

Congress leader CP Joshi has pipped Ruchir Modi, son of former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, to become president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).The RCA elections were held on May 29 but results were declared today as per the orders of the High Court. Joshi won with a 19-14 margin.The ballot boxes were kept in the government treasury and were brought to the RCA academy, where the election results were announced by election officer AK Pandey.It was rather on expected lines that former president Joshi emerged much stronger than Modi who was backed by his father Lalit, who is facing a life ban from the BCCI and is in exile owing to money laundering charges by the Enforcement Directorate.Joshi had had to withdraw from the election against Lalit Modi the previous year because he was deserted by his supporters.A consolation perhaps for the Modi faction was that the post of secretary went to Rajendra Singh Nandu, who is understood to be a staunch supporter of Lalit Modi. He beat Mahendra Sharma 17-16.The state association is already bearing the brunt of electing Lalit Modi as RCA president in 2014, which resulted in the BCCI suspending the state body. The BCCI had warned that the suspension would continue till Lalit Modi was removed from the post and also from the primary bodies of the RCA. Despite that, Lalit Modi hung on to the post of president of Nagaur District Association.

Leeds United are in desperate need of reinforcements ahead of their Championship campaign starting in a few weeks and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Emmanuel Dennis?

According to Football Insider, Leeds are now considering a move for Nottingham Forest forward Emmanuel Dennis.

As per the report, the Whites are weighing up a move due to a high number of players either already departed or in the process of making moves away from Elland Road after suffering relegation to the second tier.

It is claimed that Leeds are keen to strengthen their attacking options and are now doing background checks on Dennis to ensure he is the right fit for the club.

How good is Emmanuel Dennis?

There is no doubt that after already losing Rodrigo and Brenden Aaronson this summer so far, Daniel Farke will be keen to bring in new additions who can make a difference in the final third over the Championship campaign.

The former Norwich City boss has twice masterminded promotion to the Premier League from the second tier, proving that with the right backing and full investment into his philosophy there is no reason why Leeds can't bounce back to the top flight in no time at all.

As a result, the signing of Dennis could be a major coup for the West Yorkshire club and would provide Farke with a player who could be a great replacement for Patrick Bamford – who has been linked with a move away from Elland Road of late.

Whilst the Leeds mainstay was prolific during Leeds' last spell in the second tier – scoring 16 league goals during the 2019/20 campaign – his quality and consistency has declined due to injury issues and an inability to get a good run of form together – with just 11 goals netted in all competitions over the last two seasons.

Indeed, Dennis hasn't had the best time either since making the £20m move from Watford to Forest last summer and has struggled to get consistent game-time in the top flight at the City Ground.

Over 19 Premier League appearances last season, the 25-year-old scored two goals, registered two assists and created one big chance, whilst averaging just 39 minutes per performance which made it difficult for the versatile forward to deliver at the best of his ability.

Having said that, in the 2021/22 season – despite being relegated with Watford – the Nigeria international was a stand-out performer for the club due to getting more minutes at Vicarage Road – scoring ten goals and registering six assists over 36 appearances, with a goal contribution every 176 minutes, which could be incredibly valuable if he could emulate this output at Leeds next season.

Dennis has been the recipient of high praise over his career so far, with former Watford boss Claudio Ranieri full of compliments for his striker when he was managing the side in the Premier League:

"[Dennis] is a very talented player. He’s fast, has good skill, always runs straight to the goal – I love these kinds of players."

Indeed, it is likely that the £40k-per-week menace will compete with Bamford for the starting spot in the centre-forward role, however, Dennis has experience also playing on the wider flanks of the forward line, so could be easily rotated in the team to give Farke more options across multiple positions.

With that being said, if Leeds can get a good deal for Dennis it would be a great piece of business for the club in their challenge to dominate the Championship next season, albeit while proving bad news for Bamford in his possible hopes of securing a regular starting berth.

أصر ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو، المدير الفني لفريق تشيلسي، أنهم قد تجاوزوا ما حدث في مباراة الإثنين الماضي ضد إيفرتون في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في ختام منافسات الجولة الثالثة والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز تشيلسي بستة أهداف دون رد.

ورغم الفوز العريض، إلا أن مزاج بوتشيتينو قد تعكر بسبب ما حدث بين اللاعبين بعد احتساب ضربة جزاء لصالح تشيلسي في تلك المباراة.

ودخل نوني ماوديكي في مشادة مع نيكولاس جاكسون، حيث رغب كلاهما في تنفيذ ضربة الجزاء، التي انبرى لها كول بالمر في النهاية.

وانفعل بوتشيتينو بشدة في تصريحاته بعد تلك المباراة، حيث وصف ما حدث بـ”الأمر المخزِ” (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وظهر بوتشيتينو في مؤتمر صحفي اليوم للحديث عن مباراة الغد المرتقبة ضد مانشستر سيتي، في نصف نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

وتحدث بوتشيتينو من جديد عن الأمر، حيث قال: “لقد أوضحت الأمر بعد المباراة، لقد عقدنا اجتماعًا مع جميع اللاعبين والموظفين والمديرين الرياضيين”.

وأضاف الأرجنتيني في تصريحاته التي نشرتها صحيفة “ديلي ميل” الإنجليزية: “لقد شرحت مشاعري وأوصلت رسالة واضحة في مؤتمري الإعلامي والصحفي، نحن نمضي قدمًا وأعتقد أنهم فهموا الموقف”.

وواصل: “من جهة، إنها صورة لا تعجبك، ومن ناحية أخرى من الجيد أن يرغب اللاعب في تحمل المسؤولية وتنفيذ ضربات الجزاء، وإظهار شخصيته وشخصية الفريق، لكن عليهم احترام القواعد”.

واختتم: “الانضباط مهم جدًا، الطريقة التي تعاملوا بها مع الأمر كانت خاطئة للغاية، الآن من المهم بالنسبة لنا أن نتعلم ونطبق المنطق السليم وأن نتصرف بطريقة مختلفة في المستقبل”.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to make an imminent offer to sign Montpellier star Elye Wahi as Spurs and manager Ange Postecoglou target new strikers.

Who will Tottenham sign?

The north Londoners have made just three major signings so far, not including permanent deals for both right-wing-back Pedro Porro and forward Dejan Kulusevski.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, England midfielder James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon have all officially put pen to paper on moves to Spurs whilst making their debuts in pre-season.

Weeks remain of this year's summer transfer window but reliable media sources suggest that there could be a few more additions at Tottenham, with chairman Daniel Levy on the lookout for centre-backs, a midfielder to replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (if he leaves for Atletico) and a potential new striker.

The Harry Kane situation is one currently dominating the headlines in north London, as Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, Ligue 1 champions Paris-Saint Germain and league rivals Man United take a serious interest in him.

Postecoglou, speaking to the press recently, admitted he certainly isn't comfortable with the ongoing saga.

"Fair to say I am not relaxed about it," said the Australian.

“It’s not something you go: ‘Ah, well, you know if it does or doesn’t happen!’ I mean it’s a very important part of this football club, not just the team, but the football club.

“So, you’ve got to deal with it, and I think, for everyone concerned, we don’t want to be doing it for too long. I don’t think that is good for anyone. I don’t think it is good for Harry, I don’t think it is good for the club."

As such, Tottenham have reportedly been making contingency plans for if the 29-year-old does leave, with Juve's Dusan Vlahovic and Eintracht Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani among the strikers recently linked.

Now, according to French news website Midi Libre, as translated by Sport Witness, a Tottenham offer for Montpellier forward Wahi could be in the offing.

Chelsea's latest bid to sign the player wasn't enough, as per Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin, with Midi Libre sharing that message and dropping an interesting line of their own.

Spurs are mentioned as an interested party with more offers for Wahi expected to arrive "in the near future", where the Lilywhites are named, and it's stated they could make an imminent bid.

There isn't much detail given on the nature of this proposed offer, but it appears a Tottenham approach is expected in France.

How good is Elye Wahi?

Scoring 19 goals and assisting five others in 33 Ligue 1 appearances last term, there is little denying Wahi was Montpellier's star player going forward.

The 20-year-old, who can play both as an attacking midfielder and wide forward, is also an intriguing versatile option for Postecoglou with plenty of shelf life yet given his age.

Journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos, taking to Twitter, heaped praise on Wahi for his potential and says he is a "real beast" in the final third.

"Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season," said Ramos.

"A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."

Ian Westwood, the Warwickshire opening batsman and former captain, has announced his retirement with immediate effect following a 15-year playing career

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2017

Ian Westwood, the Warwickshire opening batsman and former captain, has announced his retirement with immediate effect following a 15-year playing career.Westwood, 34, was born and raised in Birmingham, and progressed through Warwickshire’s youth teams, making his first appearance for the club in the Under-11s before coming through their development of excellence programme to make his first-class debut against India A in 2003.He was part of the team that won the County Championship title in 2004 and was appointed as club captain in 2009. After stepping down the following year, he played a key role in Warwickshire’s County Championship triumph in 2012, and retires having played 159 first-class games for the club, scoring 16 centuries.The most recent of those hundreds came earlier this season, a fighting knock of 153 against Surrey at Warwickshire that helped to set his side up for a hard-earned draw in what has otherwise been a troubling Championship campaign. Four defeats in their first six matches have left them rooted firmly to the bottom of Division One.”Playing for my home county was all that I ever wanted to do as a junior and I am very proud to have enjoyed a 15-year career where I have been part of teams that have won the County Championship, and also captained the club,” said Westwood.”It has been a very difficult decision to retire, but this is the right time and I would like to thank the many people that have supported me throughout, particularly the players and coaches who I have worked with, club members and of course my family.”I’m now going to enjoy a period with my family, but certainly intend to remain in cricket and will be a regular visitor to Edgbaston to catch up with the lads and support the Bears.”Jim Troughton, Warwickshire’s first-team coach previously played with Westwood for 12 years, said: “Westy typified the character and professionalism needed to be a true Bear.”Opening the batting in Division One Championship cricket is a real test of skill and temperament and he has exhibited this throughout his career.”He has captained the club and been an integral part of our success over the last 13 years and he should be very proud of what he has achieved.”Ashley Giles, the club’s sport director, added: “Westy has given everything to Warwickshire CCC since he first wore the Bear and Ragged Staff. It has been an absolute pleasure to have worked with him as a player and captain.”It is a very brave decision to choose to retire at this stage of the season, but it is one that we fully respect and I am very much in favour of players leaving the game on their own terms, when they believe that it is the right time.”We thank Ian for his immense contribution to Warwickshire CCC and, given his love for the club, we certainly expect to see him at Edgbaston on a regular basis.”

Former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a target of Aston Villa this summer according to a guest on Sky Sports.

The 29-year-old is available on a free transfer following the expiration of his Liverpool contract.

What position does Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain play?

The England international can play a number of positions across both the attack and midfield, which makes him an attractive proposition for any potential buyers.

According to Transfermarkt, across the player's 393-game career, he has played as a striker, a left-winger, a right-winger, an attacking midfielder, a central midfielder, a defensive midfielder, a left midfielder, a right midfielder, and even as a right back. That versatility shows that he has a strong and flexible skillset both with and without the ball.

The 'Ox' is also a very experienced player, having made almost 400 career appearances before the age of 30, with over 200 appearances in the Premier League and over 50 in the Champions League. During his career, the midfielder has scored 48 goals and assisted 56 across all competitions, en route to winning everything there is to win at a club level in football, including a Champions League and a Premier League with the Merseyside club.

His career has been tarnished by injury problems however, with the Englishman having missed 170 career games through injury, with the most devastating one being a ruptured cruciate ligament injury he suffered in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in 2018 that left him sidelined for over 300 days and 43 matches. Following his return from that injury, the midfielder really struggled to nail down a starting spot in the Liverpool team for the next four years before ultimately departing this summer.

Jordan Henderson was full of praise for his former teammate in Liverpool's final matchday programme of last season, stating: "Ox is currently in the shape of his life and whoever gets him next has won the lottery. He's been fit and one of our standout players in training consistently for the past two seasons. Being honest, I'm buzzing for Ox but gutted he gets the chance to have a fresh start somewhere else. What I felt back on summer transfer deadline night in 2017 still applies now: the guy is dynamite. What a player."

According to reports, three Premier League sides are battling for the signature of the England international, with Villa joined by Brighton and Brentford in the race for his signature.

A guest on the Good Morning Transfers Sky Sports show revealed that the Englishman prefers to stay in England, and has already turned down lucrative offers from abroad: "We understand three Premier League clubs are interested in signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and we understand those clubs are Aston Villa, Brighton and Brentford, and it’s also understood that he’s had interest from the MLS, Turkey and of course Saudi Arabia.

So he left Liverpool at the end of last season, and we understand he has already turned down a few lucrative offers from teams abroad because his preferred option at this point is to stay in England."

Where will Oxlade-Chamberlain play for Aston Villa?

The signing of Oxlade-Chamberlain would be a fantastic utility signing by Unai Emery.

As stated earlier, the player's versatility is incredible, and he could be deployed in a number of positions and roles for the Villains next season either in midfield, on the wings and possibly even up front.

Villa have made a number of really strong additions this window, with the signings of Youri Tielemans on a free transfer and Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen for a club record transfer fee, and Oxlade-Chamberlain could come in and offer some real quality depth behind those two new signings, as well as to established members of the squad such as Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey. This quality depth will also be very important for the Midlands side next season as they embark on their first European campaign in over a decade in the Conference League, and the added stress of playing two games a week will mean that manager Emery will have to fall back on his depth options more often, and having a player with the experience and quality of the 'Ox' coming off the bench and into games when needed will be a massive help for the side.

أكد ديكلان رايس أن فريقه آرسنال في حالة إحباط وذهول بعد توديع بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، أمام بايرن ميونخ.

وودع آرسنال البطولة بعد الهزيمة بهدف دون مقابل في مباراة الإياب أمام بايرن ميونخ، ويستعد لمواجهة ولفرهامبتون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز يوم السبت المقبل.

وقال رايس لشبكة “beIN SPORTS”: “نحن محبطون، وفي حالة ذهول حقًا، من الصعب وصفها بالكلمات”.

وأضاف: “على مدار مباراتي الذهاب والإياب، كانت لدينا فرصة كبيرة للتقدم 2-0 في المباراة الأولى، وبعد ذلك كانت لدينا مهمة شاقة لأننا تأخرنا 2-1، لكننا تمكنا من إرجاع النتيجة إلى 2-2”.

وأشار: “لقد جئنا إلى هنا بعد يوم الأحد، وكنا نشعر بالانتعاش والاستعداد، لقد رأيت رد فعل في الشوط الأول بشكل خاص، لقد لعبنا بثقة، لكننا كنا نفتقر إلى تلك الميزة المتطورة”.

وتابع رايس: “لكن مرة أخرى، وصل الأمر إلى منطقة الجزاء واستقبلنا هدفًا لا يشبهنا، والآن نخرج برأسية كهذه في مباراة لم يكن بها الكثير حقًا، وهذا هو الشيء الأكثر إحباطًا بصراحة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | أرتيتا: لاعبو آرسنال محطمون.. وسنقاتل من أجل لقب الدوري الإنجليزي

وأكد: “أنا متألم، لقد جئت إلى هذه المباراة مليئًا بالجوع والرغبة والعاطفة، كنت أرغب في تجاوز الحدود وكذلك فعل جميع اللاعبين أيضًا، يمكنك رؤية ذلك في الجميع، كان الجميع جائعين معًا (للفوز)”.

وواصل بشأن العودة للمنافسة على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مع ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي: “ما أستفيد منه هو أنها تجربة تعليمية، نحن مجموعة شابة، هناك الكثير من الطلب والضغوط علينا الآن وهذا صحيح لأننا جيدون في ما نقوم به”.

واختتم: “هذا هو نادي آرسنال، أحد أكبر الأندية في العالم، وعلينا أن نقف شامخين وأن تكون لنا مكانة كبيرة، نعود الآن إلى يوم السبت لمواجهة ولفرهامبتون، وهذا هو المكان الذي سيحدث فيه رد فعلنا الكبير”.

Samit Patel has a career-best 257 to his name, moe runs than he has made all season, and a pleasure in an otherwise drab contest

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Bristol11-Jun-2017
ScorecardSamit Patel produced the highest innings of his life•Getty Images

Thanks to Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire find themselves in a commanding position going into the final day against Gloucestershire. This match, for the most part, has hummed along like an old fridge: serving its purpose but giving little joy to no one. That was until Patel interjected to produce an innings of immense quality. The 31-year-old finished unbeaten on 257, a new first class record, on a pitch that has offered nothing to either discipline.To understand how dominating this knock was, consider this: it eclipses the 226 runs he has accumulated over all of his previous eight Championship innings this season. And of course, a bit of red ink does his average no harm.Patel’s unbeaten 257, which featured 23 fours and a towering six to midwicket off Jack Taylor, was brought up with a tapped single and fist pump that bumped a 256 against Durham MCCU in April 2013 down the list. The merits of classifying university matches as first class is another debate for another time, but that Patel was desperate to beat that score – “it was the most nervous I was the whole time I was batting” – underlines his desire for worthwhile contributions.The four through cover point that took Patel to his hundred summed up his innings: not even a Test batsman of the class of Notts’ number three Cheteshwar Pujara (the next highest scorer of the innings with 67), had been able to time as well or as often on this pitch. This was his first Championship hundred of the season, and his 25th in his first class career. It was also his second against Gloucestershire – that first, a score of 176 (his previous career best in the County Championship) coming way back in April 2007, at this very ground. It was in the back of his mind – “you always remember your best” – and he breezed passed it with two runs struck over the top of wide mid off.Both 2007 and 2017 Patel still have much in common. Time takes the shine away from much, but it does not seemed to have dulled any of the strokes he played with such relish as a 22-year-old. There remains an exuberance to his shot-making, most notable in the way that he used his feet to the spinners to hit them for boundaries inside-out over extra cover – the only region left open to him. Challenge posed, challenge accepted. The swagger after each boundary has, if anything, become more pronounced.Perhaps a 31-year-old Patel has learned the value of patience, though even that is simply an observation made in hindsight: he spent more than eight hours at the crease absorbing 452 deliveries, showing great restraint to not make the mistakes of those who fell before and during his stay at the crease. Most batsmen have been undone snatching at opportunities to score. Patel simply waited. And in waiting, he made up for lost time.”It reminds you of the bad days you have with the bat. The times you can’t score any runs and you’re searching. I suppose you’ve got to try and make use of it.”I’ve been training hard with Mooresy (head coach Peter Moores) and Pike (assistant coach Paul Franks) and my mindset has been pretty good for a few weeks now. I’ve just not been converting as much as I should have done.”On 185, he had a life: skipping down the pitch to the left-arm spin of Graeme van Buuren, he struck high towards long on, where the fielder in question looked to have taken a good catch. Patel thought he was out, but the catch was spilled – in fact, it have even gone for six. Instead, four was signalled. That was about as ungainly as his innings got. On 192, he struck the medium pace of Kieran Noema-Barnett for consecutive fours through cover point to take him to 200 from 379 balls. “I’ve been searching for a big one for a few weeks now.” Here it was.His supporting actors changed throughout the day. Michael Lumb looked as good as you could for 23 before he was trapped by a searing yorker from Chris Liddle. Riki Wessels came out to instigate the charge, scoring his first boundary with a trademark sweep to square leg off Neoma-Barnett. A third batting point came up an over later before Patel struck his 12th boundary to take Nottinghamshire past Gloucestershire’s first effort of 303.While Wessels was unable to last much beyond lunch, trapped LBW by Jack Taylor, Chris Read’s enterprising 40, which featured the game’s first six, clubbed crisply over long on, ensured Notts put on 126 in the middle session to go into tea with a comfortable lead of 136. Luke Wood tagged in for the evening, striking a composed 38 as part of a 95-run partnership with Patel that further demoralised Gloucester, taking the lead to 232 before Read called the innings off.More misery was to come for the hosts as Cameron Bancroft was struck in front second ball by Luke Fletcher, just as he was in the first innings. Unfortunately for him, this time the umpire raised his finger. The 24-year-old from Western Australia is now averaging 16.44 from nine innings: a return far below what is expected of an overseas player, let alone someone of Bancroft’s talent. The stodginess of this Bristol pitch is enough to make any Perth-dweller homesick. Chris Dent and Will Tavare reconvene tomorrow, 202 behind with bold ambitions to try and take Gloucestershire to safety.There was further reason to cheer for Nottinghamshire as Moores confirmed to BBC Radio Nottingham that James Pattinson will rejoin the squad for their Royal London Cup knock-out match on Tuesday against Somerset. He will then be available for the following two Championship matches before his deal expires at the end of June.